Cigarette and match container



Feb. 20, 1962 T. a. MOORE 3,021,944

cGARETTE AND MATCH CONTAINER Filed June 1, 1959 A l l I 1 1 l l l l l ll u I l l A i INVENTOR. 77/0/14/45 M00?! I` 3,021,944 Patented Feb. 20,1962 3,021,944 CIGARETTE AND MATCH CONTAINER Thomas B. Moore, Covina,Calif., assigner to Hunt Foods and industries, inc., Fuiierton, Calif.,a corporation of Belaware Filed June 1, 1959, Ser. No. 817,282 2 Claims.(Cl. 20o-43) This invention relates to a container and particularly to acontainer for holding both cigarettes and a set of matches. A

The present invention is a cigarette and match container comprising abase, a rst wall, a second wall and two side walls defining a cigaretteenclosure. Two parallel spaced-apart slots are provided in the firstwall to extend vertically with respect to the base of the container. Aplurality of detachable matches project vertically from a horizontalcrosspiece to which they are joined. The matches including thecrosspiece are disposed within the container adjacent its first wall.Clamping means are provided for engaging the crosspiece and tit throughthe vertical slots for enabling slidable movements of the matches alongthe vertical length of the slots. The length of the vertical slots ismade so that the tops of the matches are below the top edge of the frontwall when the clamping means is positioned substantially at the bottomof the vertical slots while the matches are accessible for detachmentfrom the crosspiece when the clamping means is positioned substantiallyat the top of the vertical slots.

The cigarette and match container of the present invention possesses theparticular advanage that standard cigarette containers currentlyemployed in the packaging of cigarettes may be readily adapted so as toembody the features of the cigarette and match container of the presentinvention. This is particularly true with the cardboard boxes in whichcigarettes are now commonly packaged. The container oiers the advantagesof combining the cigarettes and matches in a compact package havingexternal dimensions not substantially larger than a standard cigarettepackage. Furthermore, it provides a means for raising the matches to aposition for detachment and then lowering them within the container sothat the matches are safely removed when the match is struck forlighting.

The structure of the container of the present invention together withits operationY and advantages will be more clearly understood from thefollowing description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the cigaretteand match container of the present invention showing a set of matcheswithin the closed container;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cigarette and match container shownin FIG. l showing the set of matches in a position for detachment of amatch; and

FIG. 3 is a cross section generally taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a cigarette and match containergenerally shown by reference character comprises a front wall 11, a backwall 12 and two side walls 13 and 14 formed of cardboard. A base orbottom closure 15 combines with these walls to deiine a rectangularcigarette enclosure 16. A hinged top 17 hingeably joined to back wall 12provides a top closure for the container. Two spaced-apart slots 18, 19are disposed in parallel relationship in the front wall of the containerto extend vertically with respect to the base.

A liner 20 consisting of side pieces 21, 22 and a front piece 23 isdisposed within enclosure 16 so that side pieces 21, 22 and front piece23 are adjacent side walls 13, 14 and front wall 11 of the container,respectively. A match 2 u space 24 is deiined between the inner surfaceof the front wall and the front piece of the liner. .n

A set of matches 25 comprises a plurality of matches 26 joined to ahorizontal crosspiece 27. The matches and crosspiece are generally madeof cardboard and are integrally formed whereby the matches maybe readilydetached by tearing at the point where the matches are joined to thecrosspiece. The width of the crosspiece is slightly less than the widthof the front wall of the container. T he set of matches is disposed inmatch space 24 between the front wall and the front piece of the liner.Two apertures 28, 29 are spaced apart within the crosspiece so that theycoincide with vertical slots 18, 19 when the set of matches is in matchspace 24.

A clamp 3i) comprises a band passing through vertical Slots 18, 19 ofthe container and apertures 28, 29 of the set of matches and includestwo prongs 31, 32 bent over on the outside of the front wall to engagethe set of matches to the front wall for slidable movement with respectthereto.

The length of vertical slots 18, 19 is made such that when clamp 3G isat the lowest point of the vertical slots, the tops of the matches arebelow the top edge ofthe front wall. On the other hand, when the clampis at the uppermost point of the vertical slots, the matches are in aposition where they may be conveniently detached from the horizontalcrosspiece. In operation, therefore, when the container is closed, asparticularly shown in FIG. l, the matches can be retracted to a positionwhere they do not interfere with the closing of hinged top 17 and arecompletely enclosed by sliding clamp 30 to the lowest point of thevertical slots. When the hinged top is opened, as particularly shown inFIG. 2, the matches may be brought to a point for detachment by slidingclamp 30 to the uppermost point of the vertical slots.

A striking surface 33 is mounted on side wall 13 so that the match maybe struck when the hinged top is in the closed position. The strikingsurface may be either attached as by an adhesive to the side wall or itmay be integrally formed therein by incorporating it in the blank inwhich the cigarette container is manufactured.

The clamp may be conveniently formed from a number of materialsincluding plastics, metals or even a relatively thick-gage cardboard.Where the clamp is incorporated together with the set of matches in thefabrication of the blank from which the container is formed, a plasticmaterial such as polystyrene may be advantageously used for the clamp.When, however, the clamp together with the set of matches is insertedinto a formed container tted with two vertical slots, the clamp ispreferably made of a material permanently deformable such as thin-gagemetal, for example, so that the prongs will retain the bent-overposition. The particular advantage of the cigarette and match containerof the present invention rests in the fact that it may be readily formedfrom the standard type of cigarette container now commonly fabricated asa packaglng medium for cigarettes. quired is that two vertical slots beformed within the front wall of the cigarette package. As a result, themanufacture of the cigarette and match container of the presentinvention may be made without substantial modification of the existingsteps for manufacture of cigarette containers.

While the container of the present invention has een particularlydescribed with reference to the cigarette container formed as acardboard box, it is to be understood that the concept of the containerof the present invention may be incorporated in other cigarettecontainers having a structure whereby two vertical slots may be formedtherein. Even those cigarette packages made of relatively thin papersheets can be modified so as to embody the The only modification re 3match package in accordance with the practice of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cigarette and match container comprising a base, a front wall, aback wall and two side walls defining a cigarette enclosure, the frontwall having two parallel spaced-apart slots extending vertically withrespect to the base, a liner disposed Within the enclosure to dene amatch space between it and the front wall, a set of matches including acrosspiece having two apertures spaced apart to coincide with thevertical slots, and a plurality of detachable matches joined to projectvertically from the crosspiece, said set of matches being disposed inthe match space, and a clamping band fitted through each slot andcoinciding aperture of the crosspiece and including at its ends twoprongs bent over to slidably engage the front wall for enablingreciprocating movements of the crosspiece and the matches joined theretoalong the vertical length of the slots.

2. An improved cigarette and match container comprising a cigaretteenclosure including a top hingeably connected to a first wall of theenclosure so as to have an opened and a closed position and a secondwall, disposed opposite the rst wall, which has a pair of parallellongitudinal slots therein, a liner positioned within the enclosure andadapted to enclose cigarettes therewithin, a match base disposed betweenthe second wall and the liner so as to be perpendicular to the slots andincluding a pair of apertures extending therethrough and spaced apart sothat one aperture is adjacent each of said slots, a plurality of matchesdisposed between and parallel to the slots and positioned between thesecond Wall and the liner, the matches being detachably connected to thematch base, and a clamp having a prong extending through each apertureand the slot aligned therewith so as to hold the matches adjacent thesecond wall and in parallel alignment with said slots, whereby thematches are selectively and longitudinally slidable with respect to thesecond wall between a iirst position in which the matches are completelyenclosed by the enclosure when the top is in its closed position and asecond position in which the matches extend from the enclosure when thetop is in its opened position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 842,065Behrman Jan. 22, 1907 994,784 Pinsuti June 13, 1911 1,280,277 NaschekOct. 1, 1918 1,726,843 Kornsweet Sept. 3, 1929

